1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera control apparatus for controlling a photographing range of a camera including a driving apparatus for changing a photographing direction, to a camera system and an electronic conference system including the camera control apparatus, and to a camera control method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a camera control apparatus having improved convenience of an operation for changing a photographing direction of a camera, a camera system, an electronic conference system, and a camera control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a television conference system capable of holding a conference at a remote location by mutually transmitting and receiving signals of collected audio and a photographed image at a conference via a communication line has attracted attention. In such a system, it is preferable that a speaking person is photographed and an image signal thereof can be transmitted to the other party. For that purpose, it has been necessary to switch a camera by an operation from a person or necessary to direct a camera towards a speaking person.
Meanwhile, a technology for automatically recognizing a person, etc., from an image signal has been used in various apparatuses. For example, as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2003-0142209, there is a known moving-body image monitoring apparatus for detecting a moving body, such as a person, from a difference between two frames that are adjacent in relation to time and for tracking the moving body by moving the photographing direction of a camera. Furthermore, as disclosed in GB Patent No. 2,343,945, there is a known photographing apparatus in which a face of a person within a photographing range is detected and tracked. Also, feature information of that face is stored, the feature information of a person photographed thereafter is compared with the stored feature information, and a warning can be given with respect to a dangerous person.